1. Field of the Invention
Known multi-layer capacitors are ceramic components in which electrode layers and thin ceramic layers are alternately disposed over one another. Every ceramic layer, with the two neighboring electrode layers form an individual capacitor. The individual capacitors are electrically connected in parallel by corresponding connections of the electrode layers. In order to produce ceramic multi-layer capacitors of this type "wet" processes are used, for example green sheets are produced using a slip or a Sol-gel process and then have the electrode material printed on them. By stacking such printed green sheets on one another, and sintering them together, compact components are obtained which, in a final process step, are additionally provided with electrical terminals. In order to increase the capacitance of such ceramic multi-layered capacitors, it is possible to increase the number of individual capacitors, that is to say the number of layers in the multi-layer capacitor. However, it is not possible to produce multi-layer capacitors with high capacitance, in the region of a few uF, in this way except with great technological outlay.
Although electrolytic capacitors, already currently available, can be produced with such high capacitances in the region of a few uF, they often have unsatisfactory electrical properties. In particular, electrolytic capacitors leave scope for improvement in terms of frequency response, switched-current response (internal resistance), leakage current and the temperature range in which they can be used. Further, it is not possible to produce extremely flat structures, as required in particular for SMD technology, when using electrolytic capacitors.